TRUMP CAMPAIGN MAKES LAST-DITCH EFFORT AT SENATE AND HOUSE HEARINGS IN MICHIGAN
In an unprecedented post-election environment, both the Michigan House and Senate held hours-long hearings in Lansing this week, on allegations of voter fraud said to have occurred at the TCF Center in Detroit during the Nov. 3 elections.
In both instances, both Trump supporters and some who have given sworn affidavits in court cases testified. Numerous claims that were made have already been rejected in the court cases. The Senate hearing lasted seven hours and included allegations of:
- Rude behavior directed at Republican poll challengers
- Lack of adequate access to various parts of the voting process
- Not being allowed to be within six feet of those counting ballots
- Dozens of boxes of ballots arrived hours after the polls had closed
- Running ballots through voting machines multiple times
- Military ballots being counted at one point of almost entirely consisting of votes for Democratic president-elect Joe Biden and few or no military ballots cast for Trump
- Names of voters being observed as not being listed in electronic pollbooks and dead people voting
The Associated Press has reported that U.S. Attorney General William Barr stated the U.S. Department of Justice has not found any evidence of widespread voter fraud stemming from the November 3 elections.
In the House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday night, House Oversight Committee Chair Matt Hall (R-Emmett Twp.) gave control of the much of the hearing to President Donald Trump’s personal attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, who were allowed to question those testifying.
Giuliani spent more than an hour questioning Jessy Jacob, who told about perceived fraud which election officials said was a misunderstanding of the process.
Rep. Beau LaFave (R-Iron Mountain) asked Giuliani if he was asking the Legislature to hand Trump the state’s 16 electoral college votes. Giuliani replied by saying “I didn’t ask that,” followed by talking about how the Legislature should take back its power because the state’s election was fraudulent.
Jenna Ellis, a legal advisor for the president, told legislators at the beginning of the committee: "At the end of the evidence and the testimony that we present today, we are going to be asking you to take action. … We will be asking you after taking a look at the testimony presented today to take that oath you have made as legislators very, very seriously. The law is on your side."
Earlier on Wednesday, Michigan Republican lawmakers received a letter from a Trump campaign official that said "The time for dramatic and Constitutional measures to right this injustice is now. A joint resolution from the State House and Senate can allow Michigan to send electors for Donald J Trump to the Electoral College and save our country."
The Trump party is basing its arguments on the part of the U.S. Constitution which says legislatures shall direct the manner in which states award their electoral votes that the Legislature could vote to award Michigan's electoral votes to Trump. Michigan law, however, says the winner of the popular vote in Michigan receives its electoral votes.
Rep. Steve Johnson (R-Wayland) asked why the President’s campaign did not request a recount and told another witness, Melissa Carone, that her claim that the poll book was off by 30,000 votes, did not add up.
Chair Matt Hall (R-Marshall) said the hearing was necessary and hopes it will help create policy to gain back trust in the election process.